Attachment for golf clubs



Feb. 27, 1951 5'. w. HETZEL ATTACHMENT FORY GOLF CLUBS Filed Aug. 1, 1947 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Fig. 2.

I uventor Frederick W. Herze/ y flu Q: mafia way 19.

Feb.27, 1951 F. w. HETZEL 2,543,722

ATTACHMENT FOR GOLF CLUBS Filed Au 1, 1947 2 sums-sheet 2 Inventor Frederick W Hefze/ Attorney's Patented Feb. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE ATTACHMENT FOR GOLF CLUBS Frederick W. Hetzel, East Orange, N. J. Application August l, 1947, Serial No. 765,459 (o1. 73 -3s0 '3 Claims. 1

This invention appertains to novel and useful improvements in attachments for golf clubs, particularly those attachments which are utilized for the purpose of measuring certain forces present in a golf club during the normal swinging thereof.

An object of this invention is to measure the centrifugal force of a golfers swing and to provide an improved means for this purpose.

Another purpose of this invention is to provide improved means for attaching a housing and means for indicating centrifugal force, to a golf club.

Another purpose of this invention is to provide means positioned within a housing for sliding from said housing a predetermined amount in accordance with the centrifugal force present during a swing of a conventional golf club. Another purpose of this invention is to lock said sliding means in the extended position.

A still further object of this invention is to provide means for unlocking said locking means.

Another purpose of this invention is to provide an extremely simple device of thecharacter described which is useful in correcting golf swings as well as measurement of force exerted during the swing. l

Other objects and features of novelty will become apparent to those skilled in the art, in following the description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational side view of the preferred form of the invention, showing the same fixed-to a golf club shank; I

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the indicating means forming a portion of the invention;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view of the invention shown in Figure 2 and taken substantially on the line 3--3 thereof and in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the invention shown in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the preferred form of the invention, illustrating particularly the securing means utilized therewith;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view of the invention shown in Figure 5 and taken substantially on the line 6-6 thereof and in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a cradle utilized in clamping the invention to a golf club shank;

Figure 8 is the second complemental cradle utilized in conjunction with the above mentioned cradle, and

Figure 9 .is a perspective view of the preferred form of a portion of the clamping means.

This invention has been conceived and developed to provide a device for the purpose of measuring the centrifugal force present in a golf club during the normal swing thereof. The normal golf swing, particularly the swings associated with the wood clubs should be smooth, continuous and complete with a follow through. Consequently, the measure of centrifugal force present in a golf club during the normal swing thereof is also a measure of the force exerted upon application of the head of the golf club to a conventional golf ball. Many corrections of golf swings may be indicated by utility of the present invention from a mere measurement of how much force is exerted during the swing and the approximate distance which the standardized ball travels.

The specific structure for performing the above mentioned functions is seen particularly well in Figures 2 and 6 which will be utilized primarily for explanation purposes. Referring first however, to Figure 1 there is disclosed a conventional golf club ID with the device fixed thereto.

A cradle I2 is engageable with the shank of the golf club Ill and is used as a portion of the securing means. This cradle has wedge-shaped surfaces M which are adapted to abut the shank of the club. Apertures 16 are provided in the cradle for the purpose of receiving a U-bolt l8. Noting Figure 5 it will be seen that the web portion of the U-bolt I8 is flattened to engage a housing 20 which will be discussed more in detail hereinafter.

The second cradle 22, complemental to the first mentioned cradle has wedge-shaped surfaces 24 thereon which also engage the shank of the golf club l0. Guides 26 are provided on each side of the cradle 22 for the purpose of receiving the legs of the U-bolt l8. The end opposite the wedge portion 24 of the said cradle 22 is curvilinear for the purpose of more firmly seating the housing 28 therein. A tongue 28 extends longitudinally of the said cradle 22 and is engageable with the slot 30 which is provided in the housing 29. Obviously, this tongue and groove construction obviates the possibility of relative rotation between the clamping means and housing 20.

The housing 20 has a sleeve 32 slidably received therein, which sleeve has a cap 34 at one end 3 thereof which is substantially the same diameter as the housing 20. The cap is fixed to the sleeve by standard means, as the pin 52. Accordingly, this cap serves the purpose of a limiting means, restricting relative axial travel of the sleeve 32 and housing 20.

A rod 36 is secured to the housing or more specifically, secured to a closure member 38 which is in turn pressed to the said housing. A collar 39 is fixed to the rod 36 to prevent axial movement of said rod in one direction. Ratchet teeth 40 are provided on the rod 36 which is preferably round in cross section. These teeth 46 extend a substantial distance along the longitudinal axis of the said rod 36 and form an operative portion of a locking means which will be described at this time.

A resilient keeper 42 is secured to the upper portion of the sleeve 32 through the utility of a rivet 44 or some other suitable equivalent such as brazing, soldering, bolting or the like. The keeper 42, being engageable with the teeth 40 serves the purpose of a ratchet asthe housing and sleeve 32 are permitted axial relative movement. Of course, as the sleeve 32 is moved outwardly of the housing 20, the keeper 42 engages a selected tooth 46 of the plurality of teeth.

Means for resiliently biasing the sleeve 32 inwardly of the housing 20 is provided. This means is preferably a conventional coil spring 46 which seats upon a collar 48, which is in turn threadedly disposed on the terminal portion of the rod 36. The opposite end of the spring 46 engages a second collar 50 which is fixed in the bore of the said sleeve 32 (Figure 2).

Upon the normal swing of the said golf club, the inner sleeve 32 is urged outwardly of they housing 20 against the spring 46 which is calibrated to give a true reading of how much force is necessary to compress the said spring a predetermined amount.

Suitable indicia are placed on a portion of the inner sleeve member 32 for the purpose of registering in pounds the amount of force which was; requisite for urging the said sleeve from the housing.

It is noted that the; ratchet construction described above, retains the sleeve 32 in its extended position fora reading of the indicia. Consequently, in order to return the sleeve 32 within the said housing 20 a particular means is provided for releasing the latching means. This last mentioned releasing means is a simple construction disclosed in Figures 2 and 4. The rod 36 is threaded on a knurled knob 54 which is positioned at the upper portion of the housing 20. Also, a slot 56 is provided in the knob for the purpose of receiving a pin 58. This pin is secured to the closure 38. Upon rotation of the knurled knob 54, within the limits of the slot-pin construction, the rod 36 is rotated so that the keeper 42 is disengaged from the teeth 40. Obviously, the spring 46 may then be free to urge the sleeve 32 within the housing 26.

In removing the device from a conventional golf club It), it is only necessary to remove the two sleeve-nuts 66 from the terminal portions of the U-bolt l8. These sleeve-nuts are disposed in the apertures l6 and are used to hold the U-boit l8 in fixed assembly on the golf club shank.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A force measuring attachment for golf clubs comprising a housing, means for detachably securing said housing to a golf club, means in said housing for indicating the force to which said housing is subjected in swinging the housing, said indicating means including a sleeve slidably received in said housing, means reacting on said housing for resiliently urging said sleeve so as to oppose axial movement of said sleeve, means for locking said sleeve in selected positions relative to said housing, said locking means including a rod secured to said housing, said rod having teeth, a keeper secured to said sleeve and engaged with said teeth and arranged to hold said sleeve releasably fixed in an extended position with respect to said housing when said sleeve is urged outwardly of said housing against the opposing force of said urging means, and means connected to said rod for releasing said teeeh from engagement with said keeper.

2. In a force measuring attachment for golf clubs which includes a housing, means for detachably securing said housing to a golf club, means in said housing for indicating the force to which said housing is subjected in swinging the housing, said detachable securing means comprising a cradle having wedge portions engageable with a golf club, a second cradle with a side having converging surfaces engageable with the golf club, said second cradle having a housing supporting side, means for clamping said cradles and said housing in a fixed assembly on the golf club, said housing having a groove, a tongue on said second cradle and located in said housing supporting side and engaged in said groove for preventing relative rotation of said housing and said second cradle.

3. The combination of claim 1 and said releasing means comprising a knob fixed to said rod to rotate said rod, and means operatively connected with said knob for limiting the extent of rotation of said rod.

FREDERICK W. HETZEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 574,324 Hansen Dec. 29, 1896 1,387,363 De Fore Aug. 9, 1921 1,712,609 Gibson May 14, 1929 2,214,356 Wettlaufer Sept. 10, 1940 2,244,972 Stumpf June 10, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 179,079 Great Britain May 4, 1922 326,895 Great Britain Mar. 27, 1930 

